UPDATE: Paramount has confirmed to MTV that the projected release date for the "Star Trek" sequel is indeed June 29, 2012.

This counts as news, but there's not much to it. We all know there's a "Star Trek" sequel coming. Hell, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, writers/producers of the May reboot, were talking about sequel possibilities as far back as the week after the first movie came out. Now we have a date to pin our hopes to: June 29, 2012.

Nothing else is known or announced, so don't ask. Maybe director J.J. Abrams will return to helm the sequel, maybe he won't. Maybe Khan will be the villain, maybe not. For all we know, the plan is to give us an epic "Star Trek Meets Star Wars" crossover. Could happen, right?

The news comes from a variety of sources, including Ain't It Cool News and Box Office Mojo, but there's no Paramount-issued press release that I can find. The information ran through some trustworthy sources, but we've yet to receive comment from the studio directly.

Regardless, there really hasn't ever been any doubt that we'd be seeing more "Star Trek." Abrams' take on the series made it friendly to an entirely new, much wider audience than its ever known before.

Were you anything less than certain that a "Star Trek" sequel was coming eventually? Where would you like the story to go from where it is now? Any specific hopes for the sequel?

It’s a question that immediately sprang to the minds of fans of two franchises with Thursday’s news that J.J. Abrams will direct “Star Wars: Episode VII.”

What happens to “Star Trek”?

According to Paramount Vice Chairman Rob Moore, Abrams — who directed both 2009′s “Star Trek” and the upcoming sequel “Star Trek Into Darkness” — will still be involved in some capacity with a possible third “Trek” movie, at the minimum as a producer, if not also directing the film.

Moore also pointed out that Abrams will continue to play a role in another of the studio’s most valuable franchises, “Mission: Impossible.”

“J.J. will continue to develop projects for us including a new ‘Mission: Impossible,’ and he is committed to produce another ‘Star Trek,’” Moore said Friday afternoon.

With 2009′s big-screen reboot of the beloved television and movie series, Abrams won over a new generation of audiences with a broadly entertaining and accessible take on Gene Roddenberry’s venerable cast of characters — and satisfied hard-core fans by creating a place for Leonard Nimoy to appear as Spock alongside Zachary Quinto’s new take on the beloved Vulcan.

Anticipation for the May 17 sequel is astronomically high. Paramount wisely began stoking interest in “Star Trek Into Darkness” starting late last year, with the release of a plot synopsis, a poster, a teaser, a trailer and then rolling out nine minutes of footage before Imax 3-D showings of Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.”

Last month, Abrams revealed the nine minutes to select journalists at a Century City screening room. Two days later, at the Santa Monica offices of his company, Bad Robot, the writers and select cast members — including Zachary Quinto, Chris Pine, Zoe Saldana, Alice Eve and Benedict Cumberbatch — gathered to chat up reporters and to show off costumes and props from the upcoming film.

Damon Lindelof, who wrote the script with Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, said the early rollout was inspired by director Christopher Nolan’s early reveal of footage from “The Dark Knight Rises.” With four years having passed since Abrams’ first “Star Trek” film, Lindelof said, “there had to be a lifting of the curtain a little bit,” otherwise fans grow suspicious.

With just about 100 days to go before the film officially opens, though, word of Abrams’ defection to a galaxy far, far away — news that met with a decidedly mixed reaction — raises questions about who might direct a third “Trek” film, should Paramount move forward with one, and what role Abrams and his creative partners Lindelof, Kurtzman and Orci might play in a future installment.

Abrams’ schedule likely would prohibit him from stepping behind the camera, though there was a four-year gap between “Star Trek” and the upcoming sequel. If Abrams does not direct, that could leave either Lindelof or Kurtzman and Orci in the director’s chair, or perhaps another Abrams associate such as filmmaker Matt Reeves, who helmed the Abrams-produced monster movie “Cloverfield” (though Reeves is set to direct “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” for Fox).

It seems for now Abrams’ relationship with Paramount remains strong — every film Abrams has directed or produced since 2006′s “Mission: Impossible III” has been for the studio, where Bad Robot enjoys a lucrative first-look deal.

Still, executives can’t be overjoyed by the idea of Abrams working on “Star Wars” for Disney, especially with the promotional effort for “Star Trek Into Darkness” continuing to pick up steam. At least for the moment, journalists are probably more interested in hearing about how Abrams might further George Lucas’ vision than deciphering the identity of Cumberbatch’s mystery-shrouded villain.

I never saw the animated series, but I remember April from the books. In the books, he was the captain of the Enterprise when Kirk first served on the ship. I don't remember much else about him, but hopefully Abrams makes him interesting.

I never saw the animated series, but I remember April from the books. In the books, he was the captain of the Enterprise when Kirk first served on the ship. I don't remember much else about him, but hopefully Abrams makes him interesting.

Oh, haven't you heard? Abrams is incompetent. He can't make anything interesting. Everything good that Abrams has touched is good because of his collaborators. And everything bad is all because of Abrams.

Oh, haven't you heard? Abrams is incompetent. He can't make anything interesting. Everything good that Abrams has touched is good because of his collaborators. And everything bad is all because of Abrams.

I have no idea. Why, do you need some? I can check for you. Won't even charge you shipping.

You're acting like a raging **** because I (and others) have pointed put obvious flaws in Abrams' work. You act as if you understand the hierarchy and his involvement in his latest TV shows, which clearly you don't.

You're acting like a raging **** because I (and others) have pointed put obvious flaws in Abrams' work. You act as if you understand the hierarchy and his involvement in his latest TV shows, which clearly you don't.

I'm not sure what you're referring to. I don't understand anything other than my own opinion. What have I done that's so ****y? Where have I acted like I understand anything?

You've painted me as this raging Abrams fan and apologist.

For the record: Lost is awesome. JJ had next to nothing to do with it.

Alias is meh. It's fun but it's a mess.

Cloverfield is a fun monster movie. JJ produced. I have no idea what was his beyond that.

MI:3 is a fun spy movie. Well directed, mediocre script.

Star Trek is awesome. Great script. Great direction.

Super 8 is a fantastic nostalgia movie that I really enjoyed.

These are my opinions. And that's all I know about JJ Abrams.

So please, enlighten me. How much of these projects belong to JJ and how much belongs to his collaborators? I honestly don't know.

Whatever I think about the products Abrams has produced, I think they've created a fantastic work environment at Bad Robot, and they're landing project after project. More new series on the way for the fall TV season, locked into a 3rd Star Trek, now locked into the first new Star Wars (I think Disney's going to go the route of the original trilogy and have new directors on board for each), a few other movie projects in the works. I think a lot of us would love to be that inept.

Whatever I think about the products Abrams has produced, I think they've created a fantastic work environment at Bad Robot, and they're landing project after project. More new series on the way for the fall TV season, locked into a 3rd Star Trek, now locked into the first new Star Wars (I think Disney's going to go the route of the original trilogy and have new directors on board for each), a few other movie projects in the works. I think a lot of us would love to be that inept.